Postdoctoral position, January, 2012: The Kursar/Coley lab is looking for a Ph.D. biologist or chemical ecologist with some analytical chemistry background. Knowledge of metabolomics, chemoinformatics, or the use of statistical packages for the analysis of large data sets from LC-MS or GC- MS will be important.
The focus is the analysis of the secondary metabolites, including non- protein amino acids, saponins and highly diverse phenolics, of multiple species in a genus of tropical tree, Inga, in a project funded by NSF. Our lab owns and has full-time access to a Waters I-class UPLC with a Xevo-G2 Q-ToF detector. The position also entails maintenance of the LC-MS, requires an excellent record of publication and includes co-supervision of graduate students and undergraduates. Experience in the management of large datasets, the development of databases, analytical chemistry, and structure elucidation using NMR and MS will be valuable but not essential. Our research focuses on characterizing the divergence of defenses among related species of Inga, as this is key for understanding speciation and coexistence, two of the most fundamental, long-standing and still unresolved issues in tropical biology. The position is flexible such that, in addition to the core metabolomics goals, one also may focus on related aspects of particular interest to the candidate such as the enzymology of biosynthesis or natural products. The University of Utah encourages applications from individuals with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women and is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Information about our lab is at: http://biologylabs.utah.edu/coley/ The position is available immediately for an initial period of 1 year, with an option of up to 2 additional years. Salary (plus full benefits) will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Please provide a CV, the contact information for three references, and a short (500- to 1000-word) statement regarding your future, long-term goals. Address questions and applications to Tom Kursar at [email protected]
